Body shields for protecting the human body against injury due to gunshot wounds have been known and used in the past. Even shield initially carried in portable fashion cases for rapid deployment have been known. Typical disclosures showing shields of the this type include the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 1,466,669, 3,641,638, 3,745,938, 3,762,345, 3,848,547, 4,510,200 and 4,546,863.
For the most part, these shields have generally been satisfactory in specific circumstances; however, they have been not completely satisfactory in cases where rapid deployment of a full length body shield is needed. The need for rapid deployment of such a shield oftentimes arises in emergency situations where it is necessary to take immediate action to protect oneself against gunshot wounds while taking offensive actions, such as returning fire with a handgun while holding on to the shield. Because of these drawbacks, a need has arisen for improvement in portable human body shields to accomodate these situations. The present invention satisfies this need.